The Rosewood Blog

This summer my family and I packed our car, fueled up, and left Pennsylvania for a vacation in which we traversed several states. Each day we made plans to arrive at our destination at a specific time. We used a GPS to plan our daily excursions and stay on schedule. One feature of a GPS is calculating an estimated arrival time. But somehow, our actual arrival times were rarely what the GPS initially told us! In fact, we often arrived much later. Has this ever happened to you?

Imagine that your product was so unique and popular that it practically marketed itself, many people were excited about its features and performance, and orders were pouring in. Such is the case for Tesla, an electric vehicle manufacturer. But now imagine that you can’t manufacture your product quickly enough to meet demand—not even quickly enough to meet your promises to...

His tone was desperate: “How can we increase sales? We’re losing money and are almost out of cash. If something doesn’t change, we’ll be forced to close.” How would you respond? I could offer heartfelt sympathy, but what good was that? The owners seemed to expect me to hand them a miraculous formula to bail them out of their dilemma. Their business did not reach this low point...

“The podium leaned at 27 degrees.” That’s the first sentence to a story. Well, really it’s the middle of a story. Let’s start at the beginning. A few years ago my coworker, Matt, and I participated in a story writing class at the Writers & Artists’ Conference at Christian Light in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Samuel Coons helped us hone the skill of crafting captivating opening storylines.

Our tagline at Rosewood Marketing is “Are You Growing?” Every day, we work to help our clients grow. But growth means change, and change can be difficult. Sometimes change pushes us out of our comfort zone, and into new frontiers. We encounter change everywhere—at home, at work, at church. Maybe you have wished things would stop changing. Or maybe you have wished something would change and it didn’t!

Jim, an experienced retail furniture salesman, just walked in the door at his new job, a brand-new furniture store. Unfortunately, the store owner failed to do any marketing before opening day to bring people in. Not even a sign above the door! At least the store is located in the town square, which could prove to be a good marketing move. But to draw customers into the new store will take work...

This sign hangs in the office of a local tire shop: “Prices subject to change according to customer’s attitude.” Anyone in sales or customer service can understand the frustration that inspired the statement! Sometimes we feel like charging certain customers extra because they are so difficult to serve.

You as a business person are always on the lookout for opportunities. The ability to spot and seize them is a hallmark of a successful entrepreneur. What if I told you that you might be overlooking an opportunity right on your doorstep? It’s a little like searching the world for a gold mine and coming home to find one six inches under your garden.

When it comes to assistance with your marketing, what kind of expertise should you hire? And after you engage with another company or outside professional, how can you ensure a successful ongoing relationship? To help with this challenge, we’ve put together a complete guide to working with anyone who offers marketing and advertising services.